This edition marks the sixth ICC World Cup appearance for Bangladesh, who only made their debut in the competition in 1999.
No more the minnows they once were, Bangladesh have established the capability of beating any team on their day over the years.
Mashrafe Mortaza and his men will take confidence from their 2015 World Cup showing, where they managed to reach the quarter-final in their best-ever finish. The Tigers followed up that impressive World Cup campaign with ODI bilateral series wins over the likes of India, Pakistan and South Africa in quick succession to herald a golden period in international cricket.
The past year has seen Bangladesh beat the West Indies both home and away while they went all the way to the final of the 2018 Asia Cup before going down to eventual champions India.
There have been a few roadblocks of late, however, with Mortaza’s men being convincingly blanked 3-0 by a formidable New Zealand side.
Here, we take a closer look at how the Bangla Tigers are shaping up ahead of the World Cup.
Record: Quarter-final 2015
Squad: Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir Rahaman, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Jayed.
Strength: One of the biggest assets of the Bangladesh side is its formidable middle-order which includes Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah. The three experienced batsmen have been long-standing servants of Bangladesh cricket and have been consistent performers over the years.
Weakness: One major worrying sign for the Tigers is the number of players currently recovering from injury. Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur, Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain are all just getting back from injury troubles and it could see them being a tad rusty for the tournament.
Tamim has been among the top five ODI openers in recent years.
One to watch: Veteran opener Tamim Iqbal has been doing the job at the top for Bangladesh for over a decade now and is getting better with each passing year. The southpaw is averaging over 50 since the turn of 2017 with his undeniable talent now being backed by the consistency which had previously been elusive.
Surprise package: Eyebrows were raised over the inclusion of uncapped seamer Abu Jayed, who has only featured at the Test and T20 level so far. The 25-year-old, however, can swing the ball prodigiously and that should work in his favour in English conditions.
Prediction: Group stage
